A Promised Ruler
Last week we read some of the doom and gloom of the prophet, Amos, talking about what God had in store for the people of Edom, the tribes of Esau from the line of Isaac. And in the midst of that doom and gloom we saw a glimmer of hope – that God would leave a remnant for his people to have another chance; to try to do better. And that glimmer of hope shows that even in God’s darkest days there is still love that flows forth from him into our world.
The week before we read some of the fire and brimstone of the prophet, Obadiah. Again talking about Edom. And again, there’s a glimmer of hope to be found in God’s love for his people.
And by now you’ve heard me preach on the major prophets as well – Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, writing at the fall of Jerusalem, where even then we see God’s promise that God’s plans are for hope and a future and not to harm us. And Ezekiel, writing from the midst of the Babylonian exile, expressing the torment and dismay of captured and subjugated people, yet still believing that God was with them – even across the vast expanse of the desert, far from God’s holy city of Jerusalem.
This morning we read a little bit from the prophet, Micah, picking up with chapter 5. And if you’re curious to know what we’re skipping over in chapters 1-4, here’s the quickest of quick rundowns –
In chapter one we get prophecies of doom against Samaria and Jerusalem and descriptions of the misery that will take place there. In chapter two we get more oracles – not only against the nations, but against liars, deceivers, and false prophets. But then we also get a message of deliverance and restoration – that after a time of woe, God will give a time of healing. Chapters 3 and 4 follow that same pattern – chapter 3 is largely a list of judgments against false prophets, priests, and civic leaders. While chapter 4 shows us God’s plan to bring the people back together, to redeem them, and restore them to the land.
Micah’s writing, we think, is both pre-exile and post-exile. Micah chapter 1 tells us that he’s writing during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who were kings of Judah around 750-700 BC. So the first part of his book is probably written when Jerusalem is under threat from the Assyrian Empire. But the worst judgments and more dire predictions won’t come true for at least another century after his writing, when the Babylonian Empire comes to town. And the second half of Micah seems to be post-exile. So it may be that the actual prophet Micah wrote some, but not all of his book, and that it was added onto later, which is not unusual for ancient writings.
At any rate, Micah starts off with that familiar pattern of judgment, punishment, and restoration; judgment, punishment, restoration…
And then we get to chapters 5 and 6, most of which we read this morning.
And we see the pattern continue, but it escalates. The retribution and restoration, retribution and restoration, and retribution of the previous chapters comes out in Micah 5 in wondrous and confusing restoration.
It is wondrous because we get the promise of a new ruler for the people of Israel – for God’s people. A new ruler described with the same words that would later be used to describe Jesus. “For he will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord.” “His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.” And, most tellingly, that though it is small among the clans, that this great ruler will come from the tribe of Ephrathah – from Bethlehem.
This new ruler from Bethlehem will not only bring peace to God’s people – he will be the peace of God’s people. He will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. Micah talks about the Assyrians, because that is the threat before Israel now, but in the peace of the new ruler which reaches to the ends of the earth, we know that he will be our peace against all hostile nations and threatening tribes.
Wondrous indeed.
And also, a little bit confusing.
Because after the prophet’s voice tells of the coming of a new ruler to be Israel’s peace, he seems to dip back down into oracles of doom and gloom.
Through Micah, God says, “In that day I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells…” and so on and so forth.
So, we know ours is a jealous God who doesn’t take too kindly to his people worshiping other gods and practicing other religions… so God’s promise to destroy witchcraft makes sense there. But destroying the horses and chariots? Destroying the cities and tearing down the strongholds? That’s an odd way of restoring the nation.
But then… look at how these remarks end.
“I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles” (Asherah was a Canaanite goddess, so he’s destroying rival religions again),
“… I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
That last line… “I will take vengeance in anger and wrath…” We see some scary words there. Vengeance. Anger. Wrath. And those grab our attention.
But the emphasis isn’t on those words.
It’s on I.
I will take vengeance, says the Lord.
Israel, if you are faithful, you will have no need for warhorses or chariots. You won’t need cities full of armies or strongholds full of weapons. You certainly won’t need any other religions or false gods.
The safety, the security, the peace of God’s people… lies with God and God alone.
And with that in mind, we move into chapter 6, in which God really seems to be pleading with Israel.
“What have I done to you?” God asks. Don’t you remember all the good things I’ve done for you? I brought you out of Egypt, freed you from slavery, rescued you from foreign invasions, and provided for you in times of need.
And what’s the price for all this divine aid?
Does God want burnt offerings of calves and rams? Rivers of olive oil? The lives of Israel’s firstborn?
NO!
God simply asks that his people act justly. That they love mercy. And that they walk humbly with their God.
God doesn’t care for our riches or our sacrifices. God has no use for gold or jewels or burnt offerings. If his people have gold or jewels, let them be used to further justice and mercy and love – to do those things that really please God.
And walk humbly with God.
Not to stray to other false deities or look for answers with other religions. That’s what keeps getting Israel into trouble in the first place. Over and over. It’s a very simple lesson that we simply can’t seem to learn.
Look to God in all things – the one God. The Father, Son, and Spirit of the Only God. The one who was foretold to come from Bethlehem and from Bethlehem he came. Walk humbly with God, and keep his justice, mercy, and love at the forefront of all your thinking. It sounds so simple. Yet thousands and thousands of years of our history show that it’s anything but simple. It takes work and commitment and discipline. And even then, we still falter and fail.
Yet God’s promise to us in Jesus Christ, in our salvation from the town of Bethlehem, is that even when we do falter. Even when we do fall short of living into God’s justice, mercy, and love, is that God will be just, and merciful, and loving with us. Yes, it’s a two-way street and God loves when we are able to do the right thing and live in faith with him. But God also knows that the amount of love he can pour into the world is infinitely greater than that which we can give.
So, yes, our judgment is in God’s hands. But so is our salvation. So is our forgiveness. So is our safety and security. And so is our peace. We know from Micah… we know from Obadiah and Amos… Jeremiah and Ezekiel… we know that God is capable of great anger and great destruction. But we also know from these same prophets, from the Gospels of Jesus Christ, and from our own experience with God, that he is capable of even greater love.
To God be all glory, praise, and honor. Amen.
Let us pray.
Gracious God, we yearn for a world governed by your justice. We search for your mercy all around us. And we strive to walk humbly with you. Be with us in those times when it is difficult, and keep us ever-awake to your loving presence. Guide our feet along your path, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Last week we read some of the doom and gloom of the prophet, Amos, talking about what God had in store for the people of Edom, the tribes of Esau from the line of Isaac. And in the midst of that doom and gloom we saw a glimmer of hope – that God would leave a remnant for his people to have another chance; to try to do better. And that glimmer of hope shows that even in God’s darkest days there is still love that flows forth from him into our world.
The week before we read some of the fire and brimstone of the prophet, Obadiah. Again talking about Edom. And again, there’s a glimmer of hope to be found in God’s love for his people.
And by now you’ve heard me preach on the major prophets as well – Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, writing at the fall of Jerusalem, where even then we see God’s promise that God’s plans are for hope and a future and not to harm us. And Ezekiel, writing from the midst of the Babylonian exile, expressing the torment and dismay of captured and subjugated people, yet still believing that God was with them – even across the vast expanse of the desert, far from God’s holy city of Jerusalem.
This morning we read a little bit from the prophet, Micah, picking up with chapter 5. And if you’re curious to know what we’re skipping over in chapters 1-4, here’s the quickest of quick rundowns –
In chapter one we get prophecies of doom against Samaria and Jerusalem and descriptions of the misery that will take place there. In chapter two we get more oracles – not only against the nations, but against liars, deceivers, and false prophets. But then we also get a message of deliverance and restoration – that after a time of woe, God will give a time of healing. Chapters 3 and 4 follow that same pattern – chapter 3 is largely a list of judgments against false prophets, priests, and civic leaders. While chapter 4 shows us God’s plan to bring the people back together, to redeem them, and restore them to the land.
Micah’s writing, we think, is both pre-exile and post-exile. Micah chapter 1 tells us that he’s writing during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who were kings of Judah around 750-700 BC. So the first part of his book is probably written when Jerusalem is under threat from the Assyrian Empire. But the worst judgments and more dire predictions won’t come true for at least another century after his writing, when the Babylonian Empire comes to town. And the second half of Micah seems to be post-exile. So it may be that the actual prophet Micah wrote some, but not all of his book, and that it was added onto later, which is not unusual for ancient writings.
At any rate, Micah starts off with that familiar pattern of judgment, punishment, and restoration; judgment, punishment, restoration…
And then we get to chapters 5 and 6, most of which we read this morning.
And we see the pattern continue, but it escalates. The retribution and restoration, retribution and restoration, and retribution of the previous chapters comes out in Micah 5 in wondrous and confusing restoration.
It is wondrous because we get the promise of a new ruler for the people of Israel – for God’s people. A new ruler described with the same words that would later be used to describe Jesus. “For he will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord.” “His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.” And, most tellingly, that though it is small among the clans, that this great ruler will come from the tribe of Ephrathah – from Bethlehem.
This new ruler from Bethlehem will not only bring peace to God’s people – he will be the peace of God’s people. He will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. Micah talks about the Assyrians, because that is the threat before Israel now, but in the peace of the new ruler which reaches to the ends of the earth, we know that he will be our peace against all hostile nations and threatening tribes.
Wondrous indeed.
And also, a little bit confusing.
Because after the prophet’s voice tells of the coming of a new ruler to be Israel’s peace, he seems to dip back down into oracles of doom and gloom.
Through Micah, God says, “In that day I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells…” and so on and so forth.
So, we know ours is a jealous God who doesn’t take too kindly to his people worshiping other gods and practicing other religions… so God’s promise to destroy witchcraft makes sense there. But destroying the horses and chariots? Destroying the cities and tearing down the strongholds? That’s an odd way of restoring the nation.
But then… look at how these remarks end.
“I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles” (Asherah was a Canaanite goddess, so he’s destroying rival religions again),
“… I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
That last line… “I will take vengeance in anger and wrath…” We see some scary words there. Vengeance. Anger. Wrath. And those grab our attention.
But the emphasis isn’t on those words.
It’s on I.
I will take vengeance, says the Lord.
Israel, if you are faithful, you will have no need for warhorses or chariots. You won’t need cities full of armies or strongholds full of weapons. You certainly won’t need any other religions or false gods.
The safety, the security, the peace of God’s people… lies with God and God alone.
And with that in mind, we move into chapter 6, in which God really seems to be pleading with Israel.
“What have I done to you?” God asks. Don’t you remember all the good things I’ve done for you? I brought you out of Egypt, freed you from slavery, rescued you from foreign invasions, and provided for you in times of need.
And what’s the price for all this divine aid?
Does God want burnt offerings of calves and rams? Rivers of olive oil? The lives of Israel’s firstborn?
NO!
God simply asks that his people act justly. That they love mercy. And that they walk humbly with their God.
God doesn’t care for our riches or our sacrifices. God has no use for gold or jewels or burnt offerings. If his people have gold or jewels, let them be used to further justice and mercy and love – to do those things that really please God.
And walk humbly with God.
Not to stray to other false deities or look for answers with other religions. That’s what keeps getting Israel into trouble in the first place. Over and over. It’s a very simple lesson that we simply can’t seem to learn.
Look to God in all things – the one God. The Father, Son, and Spirit of the Only God. The one who was foretold to come from Bethlehem and from Bethlehem he came. Walk humbly with God, and keep his justice, mercy, and love at the forefront of all your thinking. It sounds so simple. Yet thousands and thousands of years of our history show that it’s anything but simple. It takes work and commitment and discipline. And even then, we still falter and fail.
Yet God’s promise to us in Jesus Christ, in our salvation from the town of Bethlehem, is that even when we do falter. Even when we do fall short of living into God’s justice, mercy, and love, is that God will be just, and merciful, and loving with us. Yes, it’s a two-way street and God loves when we are able to do the right thing and live in faith with him. But God also knows that the amount of love he can pour into the world is infinitely greater than that which we can give.
So, yes, our judgment is in God’s hands. But so is our salvation. So is our forgiveness. So is our safety and security. And so is our peace. We know from Micah… we know from Obadiah and Amos… Jeremiah and Ezekiel… we know that God is capable of great anger and great destruction. But we also know from these same prophets, from the Gospels of Jesus Christ, and from our own experience with God, that he is capable of even greater love.
To God be all glory, praise, and honor. Amen.
Let us pray.
Gracious God, we yearn for a world governed by your justice. We search for your mercy all around us. And we strive to walk humbly with you. Be with us in those times when it is difficult, and keep us ever-awake to your loving presence. Guide our feet along your path, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.